Adoke Accuses Obasanjo of Double Standards Over OPL 245 Scandal

Former Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke, has accused ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo of triggering the controversial OPL 245 oil saga and later trying to distance himself from the fallout.

In his new book, OPL 245: The Inside Story of the $1.3bn Nigerian Oil Block, Adoke alleges that Obasanjo’s decision to revoke the oil block awarded to Malabu Oil & Gas in 1998 was arbitrary and ignited years of legal and political crises.

“Obasanjo woke up one morning and set OPL 245 on fire. There is no other way to describe what he did on 2 July 2001,” Adoke wrote. “Exactly five weeks after issuing OPL 245 to Malabu, he revoked the block without giving any reasons.”

He said the former president later approved the return of the oil block to Malabu in 2006, only to deny involvement years later when corruption allegations emerged.

“Obasanjo failed the ultimate leadership test… He created the OPL 245 mess, worsened the risk of investing in Nigeria… and, upon all, refused to take responsibility for his actions. That is not leadership,” Adoke wrote.

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Adoke said Obasanjo denied his role during a 2017 interview, stating: “I was not part of any such deal. If Daukoru has evidence that I approved that the block be given back to Malabu or Etete, let him produce it.”

But Adoke insists: “The letter showing his approval, in his handwriting, surfaced… Rather than keep his word… Obasanjo simply went quiet in his usual self-righteous manner.”